chopped top

[Guest Anonymous]

I baugh a chopped73,and then I install a custom top made from the best materials,but I'mafraid the car it's not solid,due to it's missing the top and the sway bars..The car it's a good looker,but it'not a good performer'and I thinck I kneed help....HELP!!!...I'll apreciate[/u][/i][/b]

[SOUTHBAYeric]

Uhhhh.....english and photos please. Thanks.

[MBH297]

You need to strengthen the sills etc - preferably before you take the roof off, once the cars bent its pretty much ruined.

[Mike Self]

1. Look in a parts book in the body components section and observe the extra sill frame rails that are used on the convertibles...they're really nothing more than angle iron, and could be welded into your car without too much trauma.

2. Go to JAMIC's web site (English 2002 shop)--they offer a kit to convert a fixed roof 2002 to a convertible; perhaps they sell sill reinforcements separately (I know they're part of the kit)

3. What we did with a Mustang convert that had rusty floors and was sagging: jacked it up in the middle until the seam between the door's trailing edge and the body was even top and bottom, and then welded in new floors. You'd need to do this before welding in sill reinforcements.

Good luck; hope the car isn't toast--ya just can't make a convertible from a sedan by sawing off the roof.

mike

[AndyS]

There is alot of fabbing on a real cab. Extra metal in the car to add strength. Kick panels and where they fabbed the area for the top to rest. I only have a pic of the kick panel but when the car was being restored you could see many welds in the rear. There is also additional metal under the front seats. I guess the pan they put in acts as a rear stressbar. You might want to consider stress bars to releive the side to side twisting. I had an after market cab as well and considered a roll bar to also take up some of the stress.

[merlin]

Even the real cab has some flex in it. When we lift the original cabs on the lift you can see it slightly. We had one customer with a shop top one and that thing just about split open. Basicly you need to weld in reinforements all over. Under the seat is a great spot, also an origial spot, to box in. Idealy the boxing would have been done prior to the top geting choped. It will be difficult to get the car perfectly streight with out it being on a good frame machine. you could consider welding up a frame to go under the car as well.

Sam

LaValle's Import Restorations

[Guest Anonymous]

PHOTOS!

[AndyS]

(nt)Humberto's beauty is next to mine in the before pic.

[merlin]

remember this is a real cab not a chop top

[AndyS]

(nt)